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How To Explain Why You Were Fired From Your Last Job

Being fired or terminated from employment can be embarrassing especially if your dismissal was due to poor performance or a personality clash with your boss.

You know this question will come up in future interviews. What is the best way to respond? How can you explain your leaving in the best possible light so it does not jeopardize future job prospects?

1. Deal with your emotions before starting to interview.

If your firing was unexpected, you might still be in a state of shock and denial. Or you may be angry and bitter toward your previous employer.

It is important that these emotions be dealt with—or at least under control—before you set foot in an interview room. Any display of these emotions during the interview could be a deal breaker. Interviewers will expect you to be poised, confident, and ready to answer questions like a professional.

2. Prepare your answer but don’t sound too scripted.

Whatever the reasons are for your leaving, take time to organize your thoughts and consider how this explanation will be received and interpreted by the interviewer.

Then rehearse your answers preferably in a mock interview session with a friend or colleague. Ask them to listen to your answer, observe your body language, and give honest feedback.

3. Keep your answer simple and to the point.

Answer the question directly and briefly so you can move on to other topics. Explain what happened even if it is uncomfortable.

Long, carefully-rehearsed answers are not received well. It looks like you are hiding something. Keep the tone positive—emphasizing that the past is behind you and you are moving forward.

4. Bring it up before the interviewer does.

If you bring up the issue before being asked, you will come across as confident, truthful, and open. Interviewers will appreciate your frankness and likely move on to the rest of the interview.

5. Never blame your former boss or employer.

This is a big no-no, even if you feel you were wronged. Accept at least some responsibility for the outcome. Stay positive and focus on what you learned from the process.

6. Don't lie and make up stories.

Some job candidates say things like ”We agreed mutually that it was time for me to leave.” Interviewers know that is almost never true.

One lie usually leads to another and before you know it you are in over your head. Remember: references will almost always be checked and any indication you lied in the interview will mean you won’t get the job.

7. Verify what your references and previous employer will say.

A potential new employer will want to speak to your previous employer and ask about the circumstances around your departure. This is why it is important for you to have this conversation with your former employer and learn what they will say about you.

If you kept your leaving professional, the odds are they will be fair and helpful in their explanation.

A final note.

No doubt, you’ve heard someone say “It’s easier to find a job when you have a job.” While that may have been true in the past, it’s no longer relevant.

Any stigma associated with being fired and unemployed is not what it used to be. That’s because with all the corporate restructuring that has taken place, almost everybody has been laid off, fired, downsized, or dismissed at one time or another. How you deal with it, though, will determine the outcome.